Editorial. Deals with the progress of mental health care in the
United States (US). Mental health care in the 1950s; Actions taken by US
President Kennedy for mental health in the 1960s; Contributions of Jimmy
and Rosalynn Carter to mental health treatment in the 1970s; Efforts of
Tipper Gore, wife of Vice President Al Gore, for mental health research
and services; Impact of parity legislation on mental health care in the
US.
By
Robert Epstein, published on January 01, 2000
There's nothing more refreshing on a hot day than a gust of cool,
crisp air.The one that comes suddenly, unexpectedly, is the most
refreshing of all.
In the world of mental health, that cool breeze is finally here.
For decades, people have been trying to get quality mental health care,
for both themselves and their loved ones, with few options and mixed
results. Through the 1950s, those suffering from depression or other
behavioral or emotional disorders were either warehoused under
unspeakable conditions, zapped with electric shock or, if they could
afford it, subjected to lengthy talk therapies of dubious worth. Few
services were covered by insurance, and the vast majority of sufferers
went untreated.
During the next two decades, many found relief with a variety of
new prescription drugs, sometimes suffering side effects that were worse
than the original problem. In the early 1960s, President Kennedy set the
community mental health movement in motion, freeing thousands from state
mental institutions, and, in the 1970s, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter took
the lead in trying to improve mental health treatment across the
board.
Alas, progress was minimal: insurance coverage was sparse, most
people went untreated, few people would admit to visiting a therapist,
and several studies found that untrained volunteers were better
therapists than many mental health professionals with M.D.s and
Ph.D.s.
But now--building on a foundation that's been laid over the past 20
years-four unprecedented developments are changing everything: First,
Tipper Gore, wife of the vice president and mental health policy adviser
to President Clinton, has organized high-level support for mental health
research and services in the federal government. Her capstone
achievement: the first-ever White House Conference on Mental Health, held
last summer. Second, President Clinton and legislators around the country
have created "parity" legislation, requiring insurance companies and HMOs
to cover a wide range of treatments for behavioral and emotional
disorders. Third, government agencies and private organizations have
banded together to make the first decade of 2000 the "Decade of
Behavior," foretelling great advances in both research and treatment.
And, finally, Dr. David Satcher, surgeon general of the United
States--recognizing the enormous toll that emotional and behavioral
problems take on physical health--has just issued the first-ever Surgeon
General's Report on Mental Health, which he summarizes for us beginning
on page 32.
Long overdue, desperately needed by millions, the wind is with
us.
Robert Epstein is editor-in-chief of PSYCHOLOGY TODAY and
University Research Professor at United States International University
in San Diego. He hosts the magazine nationally syndicated radio program,
and is the founder and director emeritus of the Cambridge Center for
Behavioral Studies in Massachusetts. He earned his Ph.D. in psychology at
Harvard University in 1981.
Tags:
community mental health,
cool breeze,
crisp air,
electric shock,
emotional disorders,
mental health care,
mental health movement,
mental health policy,
mental health professionals,
mental health research,
mental health treatment,
minimal insurance,
policy adviser,
quality mental health,
Rosalynn Carter,
state mental institutions,
suffering from depression,
tipper gore,
white house conference
